I’m a Christmas connoisseur.
In the Philippines (where I’m from), the festivities kick off as early as September.
I’m talking houses, malls and offices dripping with multi-coloured fairy lights and capiz lanterns.
Not to mention the Christmas carols that are playing everywhere and the scent of bibingka (baked rice cakes) filling every street corner.
That’s how I know that Christmas is in the air, even if we don’t have that cold winter freeze.
But my favourite part of the Christmas season is Secret Santa. There’s something exceptionally exciting about finding the perfect present for the friend whose name I’ve picked.
At the same time, receiving a present from my Secret Santa makes me giddy too. Why? Because it’s from someone I know and get along with. Also, I don’t know what’s inside the box, but I’m sure I’ll love it.
Which brings us to the whole point of this blog post – great Christmas content should make you feel the same way.
You could say that your brand is the Secret Santa. Your content is the gift. And your target audience are the ones who will receive your Christmas present.
So how can your brand give the perfect Christmas content gift?
Here are 5 ways to let it snow with festive content for the Christmas season:
DON’T BE A SCROOGE
I’m not saying you need to adorn all communications with candy canes and gingerbread men.
But you need to get into the Christmas spirit in a fun way and delight your customers first, and focus on sales second.
You can do this by spicing up both your tone of voice and your design, to put you bang on the festive theme.
Make your own GIFs. Add Christmas-themed infographics to your blog posts or emails. Or post funny Christmas memes for your social content. The possibilities are endless.
You can even take small festive steps by jazzing up your brand’s social media profiles with Yuletide designs. To keep you on the right track, check out the 3 most important social media commandments in this post from us.
The sprucing up of your content will go a long way toward endearing your target audience to your brand. It’s a way of saying that you’re celebrating the best time of the year with them.
BE THE STAR ON TOP OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
We’ve established that it’s good to be on theme. The thing is, your competitors will be doing the same thing.
You have to find ways to stand out and shine.
Effective competitor analysis is key. Check out what all of your competitors are up to, and offer something that only your brand can.
Stevie Snow explains how brand differentiation can give your brand an edge over the rest in this post.
There are a chock-full of things you could play around with in terms of style, niche and tone.
You should ask the following questions:
- How do our brand’s competitors structure their blog posts?
- What do all of them have in common in terms of social media content?
- Which group/s of people are they talking to?
- How are they speaking? (Formal, conversational, etc.)
Once you’ve gathered the answers to these questions, it’s time to come up with a strategy that will set you apart.
This could come in the form of a Christmas quiz, a short video or a DIY blog post, for instance.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. It will ultimately work to your advantage.
GIVE LOVE (NOT JUST ON CHRISTMAS DAY)
You don’t have to blast Christmas content as early as September, like in the Philippines. But it’s good to start churning out festive content at the end of November or at the start of December.
You want to give your audience something as sweet and comforting as Christmas pudding. This is where resonating with them on a personal level enters the picture.
Bigfoot Digital discusses why personalised email marketing is crucial during the Christmas season in this post. According to them, these are great ways of making your customers feel loved:
- Get personal by including your customers’ first names in an email. It can also massively boost your brand and increase customer engagement.
- Remind them why they love you. Reminding them about the products and services they love from your brand will reignite their interest and lead them to buy again.
- Offer personalised discounts. Emails that are tailor-made to the customer depending on their browsing habits or purchase history are much more likely to have a higher click-through-rate than generic content.
A Christmas email greeting from you is absolutely essential. It gives you an avenue to share the holiday cheer with them.
It’s not just about what you say, but also how you say it. Your choice of words matter a lot. There are words that mean the same thing yet carry different waves of emotions.
- Begin with a seasonal expression or appropriate holiday greeting to let readers know right away that you’re sending a holiday greeting.
- Express appreciation for the person you’re writing to and your wish to continue working with them. This adds a personal touch.
- Wish them happiness, success, health and/or prosperity.
Easy-peasy, right?
BE ALL THEY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
A campaign centred on heartfelt messages like these examples given by Mary Kate McAllister will be a surefire hit.
But you need to strike a balance between a sentimental approach and not getting overly smushy.
Martjin Bertisen of Google UK has some interesting Christmas content marketing hacks in this post.
If you’re a retail brand, it’s good practice to offer Christmas deals and packages weeks before Black Friday, since this is when people start to buy Christmas presents. If your brand offers services, your customers will certainly appreciate discounted deals.
Think of it as your way of thanking them and giving back. If done properly, it will also yield more revenue for you. It’s a win-win for everyone.
SHARE THE JOY (TO THE WORLD)
If you want to be more credible and relatable to your target audience, you have to show your human side.
Who are the people behind your brand? How do you, as a company, join in the joy of the holiday season?
It’s a good idea to share photos of the brand’s Christmas activities or give them a glimpse of the Christmas decor in your HQ via the brand’s social media accounts.
If your team has volunteered at charities or done something inspiring, feel free to share. It isn’t about showing off. It’s about sharing uplifting content and indulging in the festivities.
Alternatively, creating feel-good Christmas stories across your different channels (social, blog, website, etc.) will be a good avenue for storytelling and conversion. Get the lowdown on tried and tested storytelling tricks in this post.
Producing festive and compelling content is the best gift your brand can give your customers this Christmas. So plan ahead, be unique and have a lot of fun doing it. Have a Merry Christmas!
Hugs,
Sam xx